Sonic Circumstances: Sam Moss Plays in an Old Grain Elevator for Silo Sessions

October 16, 2017 | by Jon Simmons

Sam Moss playing in a grain elevator in Buffalo, New York

Gone are the days where musicians had to record songs in a studio. Sonic Circumstances is an interview series that features musicians talking about unique places they’ve recorded and how location influenced their experience. In this chapter, songwriter and string-player Sam Moss shares his experience recording original tune "Walking The Line" as part of Silo Sessions, a video blog featuring musicians performing in grain elevators in Buffalo, New York.

Get ready for some reverb.

Where did you record, and why did you choose that location?

The session was recorded in an old grain elevator in Buffalo, NY. It's part of the Silo City complex, which is exactly what it sounds like. The Silo Sessions are put together by local artists who bring in musicians to record videos in the space. I have played there twice. The first performance was filmed for my session.

How did that location affect your recording process and/or playing?

The Silo is easily the most reverberant place I have played. It caused me to put much more space around each note, because otherwise sounds would have clashed together. Playing in there without considering the space makes everything sound like mud. It would have been infinitely more challenging to do with a band, though if you go watch the Silo Session that my friends Obody (an incredible group) did, you'll hear that it can work with a band, if they are very conscious of the space.

How would you describe the sound that you got from this spot, and what did that add to your music?